AUGUSTA, Maine — Thursday’s snowstorm curtailed lawmakers’ work on a bill that would make changes in the Maine State Housing Authority, and their meeting ended on a potential sticking point: when the changes should take place.
The bill, LD 1778, proposes putting more authority into the hands of MaineHousing’s board of directors, including the power to fire the quasi-governmental agency’s executive director.
That post is now a four-year term and the governor can remove the executive director only for “inefficiency, neglect of duty or misconduct in office.” Unlike other quasi-governmental bodies, the board cannot fire the executive director.
MaineHousing has been in the center of an increasingly intense political debate as Treasurer Bruce Poliquin and new board members appointed by Gov. Paul LePage have sought to assert their influence over leadership at the agency. Lawmakers recently voted to have the Legislature’s investigative arm look into MaineHousing’s expenses over the past five years related to memberships, contributions, travel and other areas.
On Thursday, members of the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee began looking specifically at an amendment offered by Rep. John Tuttle, D-Sanford.
Most of the changes Tuttle’s amendment suggested were nonissues for committee members, such as having the terms of the board members staggered to avoid massive turnover.
But the last item amended the bill to have certain changes take effect only in February 2014. That’s when current MaineHousing Executive Director Dale McCormick’s term expires.
At the January 31 public hearing on the bill, Peter Merrill, MaineHousing communicators director, spoke on behalf of the agency, testifying neither in support nor in opposition of the bill. At the time, he suggested the delay in having the bill take effect, saying: “Taking people at their word that this is not about the current director, then it makes sense to have these changes take place at the end of the current term. It also addresses concerns that the firing of the director before the end of term could be considered a breach of contract.”
Tuttle on Thursday said he had put in that requirement “to remove any perception of politics in this whole situation.”
It immediately appeared to be a sticking point among Republicans on the committee.
“While I appreciate the suggestion, I would say the challenge becomes: is this a piece of good governance or is it not? If it’s a piece of good governance, then it ought to take place when it’s voted in by the Legislature,” said Sen. Christopher Rector, R-Thomaston, the committee co-chairman.
Rep. Kerri Prescott, R-Topsham, said, “I’d like to see it [take effect] as soon as possible.” Prescott is the committee’s other co-chairman.
Rep. Dana Dow, R-Waldoboro, said delaying the bill for so long would take away power from the commissioners who “may feel stuck with someone they’d normally recommend would be dismissed.”
“It’s still a political football, anyway,” said Dow.
And Rep. Amy Volk, R-Scarborough, suggested that delaying the implementation is “leaving the politics in, not taking them out.”
Republicans and Democrats decided to meet separately to discuss the issue. When they returned after about 15 minutes, Tuttle said he would work more on the amendment before the continuation of the work session, scheduled for next Tuesday.
Vote it in without the amendment, and show her the door.
She has cost this state enough already.
It’s federal funds…try to offer informed opinions. And, if you make the argument that it’s still your tax dollars being wasted, then pull out two dollars and buy a drink and a mcdouble at McDonalds.
Yada Yada Yada.
I’m sure the elderly folks that are going without heat would have liked a share of that Christmas present
The truly hilarious part of this is that the governor can already remove a director for “inefficiency, neglect of duty or misconduct in office” which is exactly what they have been accusing Dale McCormick of for weeks now.
Pushing this legislation to go into effect to immediately cover the current director amounts to admitting that they are very sure she has not done even ONE thing that amounts to “inefficiency, neglect of duty or misconduct.”
Otherwise, they would just let the governor remove her for cause, and have the legislation go into effect later!
I suspect that they have gotten information that says the OPEGA investigation is going to clear McCormick and they are panicking! Sure looks that way.
If we can’t remove this no account, thieving political hack right now then that isa sure sign that there is zero accountability in Augusta.
The governor already could remove her for even ONE instance of “inefficiency, neglect of duty or misconduct”.
Are you claiming Lepage is conspiring with Dale McCormick or are you saying that she is efficient, doing her duty correctly and conducting herself 100% correctly?
Time for these changes. Look at the turnpike and what happened there. More power to the board, less to the appointees will be good for the authority and make it less of a political hacksters home.
If you vote to retain the status quo I will send you some gift cards.
If he has the goods on her, LePage can fire her today for negligence, misuse of funds and other infractions. Why hasn’t he?
Maybe because, even though she’s as much a dispicable partisan extremist as he is, she hasn’t broken the law.
Because by law he can’t. That’s what he’s POed about!!! the Bully wants his way as usual.
Actually he could … IF she had done even one thing wrong.
I suspect they have seen the results fro OPEGA and McCormick will be cleared in that investigation. Otherwise there is absolutely no reason to have this legislation rushed into law.
The committee co-chairman Sen. Christopher Rector R-Thomaston stated, “If it’s a piece of good governance, then it ought to take place when it’s voted in by the Legislature.” So true. One problem though, this “governance” is a politically motivated hack job on a competent individual by a group of thieving nasty jerks that comprise the nucleus of Paul LePage’s inner circle of dishonest loonies. Scrap the trash “Governance” and let the voters take care of the whole situation when they go into the voting booths and sweep away a large number of loonies next November.
The numb republicans quoted in this article made it very clear indeed, that all this talk that it “isn’t political” is a transparent lie, the republican don’t like a democrat running the Housing Authority period. Next up, republican board members vote to keep board meetings minutes and discussions closed to the public!
Amy Volk once again displays her fundamental lack of understanding of the simplest in legislative issues.
no doubt McCormick’s sexual orientation has much to do with Volk’s stand as well.